Kafir-corn header.



J. F. FERGUSON.

KAFIR CORN HEADER. v APPucAnou FILED NOV. 15. 1915.

1 5,339, Patented Nov 21, 1916.

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w v i WITNESSES; INVENTOR 1'. F. FERGUSGN.

KAHR CORN HEADER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1915.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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.5, F. FERGUSON.

KAFXR CORN HEADER.

APPLICATION FiLED rec-v.15. 1915.

Patented Nov. 21, l9lfi.

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u N m v. m w c m H w H p a c a N s JAMES F. FERGUSON, F COMANCHE,OKLAHOMA.

KAFIR-CORN HEADER.

Application filed November 15,-1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Comanche, in the county of Stephens and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kafir-Corn Headers,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention pertains to improvements in machines for heading corn,Kafir-corn, cane, and other grains or cereals which develop into a head,and more especially to the class of machines in which a sickle isemployed to sever the heads of grain and in which an apron is employedto carry the severed heads from the sickle to the apron.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for gatheringthe stalks of grain into position to be severed by the sickle.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be set forth in theensuing description.

The accompanying drawings show one embodiment of the invention inpractical form.

Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2isa plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of themachine on larger scale, the lower side. of the figure being the front.Fig. 4 is a plan view of a reciprocating sickle. Fig. 5 is an elevationview of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the several figures, in all of which like characters ofreference designate like parts, a Wagon or other suitable vehicle havinga box is employed as a part of the machine, and adapted to support theother parts.

In attaching the improved parts to the box 10. a wooden bar 11 ismounted crosswise of the rear end of said box and extended out laterallyfrom one side thereof, this bar being clamped down on the box by bolts12 whose lower ends are anchored in a bar 13 extending across under saidbox. The projecting end of this bar 11 is reinforced by a bar 14 of likedimensions, which is bolted to its front face, thus providing a wideupper face 15 to which other parts may be bolted.

A shaft 1.6 is journaled in the front ends of forwardly-projectingbearing arms 17 which are bolted to the upper face 15 of Specificationof Letters Patent.

rear wheel 22 of the wagon.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 61,573.

the bars 11 and 14 outside the box 10, the inner end of this shaftprojecting in over the box and being supported by a bearing arm 18bolted to the bar 11. This shaft 16, while serving as a pin on whichother parts are pivoted, is adapted to be revolved to drive certainparts of the machine and is provided with a tight sprocket-wheel 19which receives motion through a link belt 20 from a largersprocket-wheel 21 on a In further arrangement, a frame 23, is pivoted onthe shaft 16 outside the box 10, the front end of this frame carryingmeans for cutting off the heads of grain and also carrying the front orlower end of an endless apron 24 which carries the severed headsrearward from the cutting means. To support the front end of the frame23, a standard25 is erected on the side 26 of the box 10 adjacent saidframe, and on this standard a lever 27 is fulcrumed.

A yoke 28 is suspended from the end of the lever 27 by strap-iron bars29, and the sides of the frame 23 are suspended from said yoke by rods30; the opposite end of the lever being held down by engagement with astandard 31 on the opposite side 32 of the box 10.

The front or lower end of the endless apron 24 is carried by a roller 33whose shaft 34 is j ournaled through the front portion of the frame 23,while the rear or upper end of said apron is supported by a similarroller 35 whose shaft 36 is journaled through an upward and rearwardextension 37 of said frame; and this apron is driven by means laterdescribed.

In arranging the cutting means, the front end of the frame 23 is itselfformed as an integral cast frame 38, best shown in Fig. 5, which isbolted to the side pieces 39 of said frame 23. This cast frame 38 isprovided at its upper edge with forwardly-projecting sickle guards 40,not unlike those of other harvesting machines, and with a sickle 41adapted to reciprocate through said guards.

To drive the sickle 41, a shaft 42 is journaled horizontally through thelower part of the cast frame 38 and a short shaft 43 is journaledvertically through the inner end of said frame, these two shafts beingoperatively connected by two gear-wheels 44 and 45; and the upper end ofthis shaft 43 is provided with a crank-wheel 46 which imparts motion tothe sickle through a connecting-rod 17. The outer end of the shaft 12has a tight sprocket-wheel 48 which receives motion through a link belt49 from a larger sprocket-wheel 50 on the outer end of the shaft 16; andby the arrangement of parts shown it will be seen that forward movementof the wagon drives the sickle 11.

To drive the apron 24, the shaft 34 of its lower front roller 33 isprovided with a sprocket-wheel 51 which is operatively engaged anddriven by the link belt 49.

In providing improved means for gathering the stalks of grain to thesickle 41, a reel 52 is carried by the upper end of a short shaft 53which is journaled vertically in the outer portion of the cast frame 38,this shaft and the horizontal shaft 12 being operatively connected bybeveled gear-wheels 5 1 and 55. This reel includes radial arms 56 whichare riveted to its hub 57, and outer arms 58 which are riveted to saidarms 56 and disposed on a forward tangent. lVith this reel 52 arrangedin this way, and re volving in the direction of the arrow B of Fig. 3,it has a hooking engagement with the stalks of grain, gathering saidstalks more effectually than can be done by radial arms alone. A secondand smaller reel 59 is arranged at the inner end of the cast frame 38and pivoted revolubly on the upper end of a rigid spindle 60 whose lowerend is bolted to the front face of said frame. Like the larger reel 52,this reel 59 comprises radial arms 61 which are riveted to a central hub62, and outer arms 63 which are riveted to said arms 61 and tangentiallyarranged; but these arms 63 are disposed on a back tangent in place ofon the forward tangent of the corresponding arms 58 of the reel 52. Theback tangent arrangement of the arms 63 of the smaller reel 59 obviatesall conflict between the two reels in releasing engagement of thesevered heads of grain and allows said heads to be thrown onto the apron24: by the larger reel 52.

' To drive the smaller reel 59, it is provided with pins 64: whichproject upward from its tangent arms 63, and these pins are engaged bythe tangent arms 58 of the larger reel 52.

In bringing the arms 58 of the larger reel 52 into driving engagementwith the pins 6 1 of the smaller reel 59 or with any other projectingpart of said reel for the purpose of driving it, there is a tendency tocatch and clamp stalks of grain between the two reels or projectingparts of them, and this clamping engagement of the stalks tends to holdthem more positively in position to enter between the sickle guards 10.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In a corn header, meansfor severing the stalks of grain, a reel arranged at one side of saidmeans and having projecting arms, a reel arranged at the opposite sideof the severing means and having arms adapted to be engaged by the armsof the first-named reel, and means for driving the first-named reel.

2. In a corn header, means for severing heads of grain, a reel arrangedat one side of the severing means and arranged to revolve in ahorizontal plane, said reel having projecting arms, a second reelarranged at the'opposite side of the severing means and adapted torevolve in a horizontal plane, said second reel having projecting armsand pins.

projecting upward from said arms, the arms of the first-named reel beingadapted to engage said pins to drive the second reel, and means fordriving the first-named reel.

3. In a corn header, means for severing the heads of grain, a reelarranged at one side of the severing means and adapted to revolve in ahorizontal plane, said reel comprising radial arms and an outer seriesof arms secured to said radial arms on a forward tangent, a second reelarranged at the opposite side of the severing means and adapted to berevolved in a horizontal plane, the second reel comprising radial armsand an outer series of arms secured to its radial arms on a backtangent, the second reel having a series of upwardly-projecting pinsadapted to be engaged by the arms of the first-named reel to drive saidsecond reel, and means for driving the first-named reel.

WVitness my hand this 9th day of October,

J AMES F. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

J. W. Boosn, FRANK P. SHEPARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

